As a lover of all wave sports.. i get it when my surfing friends are pissed about weaving them in the line up and jumping their only shot at a shorboard wave. I dont want to be tied in with those that are in their face but because i kite it might be inherent if keeps up. More than a few of the guys were pissed about this morning when someone was buzzing them at the miller pier snaking waves and potentially dangerous if something went wrong. They yelled at him but he either knowing or unknowingly kept weaving them in the line up. Usually they are seeking offshore spots but occasionally forced to surf conditions we need, so give them some space on this rare occasion to keep the peace.

I personally want to keep relations with all my friends so dont do this and stay a 100 feet down wind of them per their request. They were here before us and deserve a shot at a simple wave not to mention unimpressed with riding a wave with a kite.

Tell your buddies that when they kept yelling "get the fuck out of here".....I just couldn't hear 'em....

But I was right there on the beach next to their surfing tent anytime anyone of them wanted to talk to me about anything. They did not....As for the insinuation of danger, I have yet to see a kite travel upwind to tangle up a surfer....I caught the waves downwind that they were not catching and NOT ONCE did I take a shortboarder's wave, a longboarder's wave or even a SUP's wave...I did, however catch many, many waves that those cats could not scratch for....

I kite with surfers all over Lake Michigan...hell I have kited with groups of surfers in Sheboygan, Holland, St Jo and Frankfort in just the last couple of weeks....slapping hands, hooting and hollering, sharing the LAKE.....I understand the rules of the surf, and I respect those that enjoy it's waters....I will not travel to exclusive surfing spots to kite, and I will not kite where kiting is not allowed, but I will catch waves safely downwind of surfers every day of the week at a spot where both have the same right to enjoy the LAKE. And I will not be intimidated by a gang of surfers who feel like it is their right and their's ONLY!!!

I appreciate you bringing their displeasure to my attention, but I know that I never once placed any of them in any danger whatsoever...we can co-exist in peace easily; SHARE THE LAKE!!!

BTW...tell your buddies I was impressed with their waveriding skills, I didn't know the surfers around here could rip it up like that....

west we have 2 threads on this going and dont think anyone is being hateful. im not going judge anything but 2 of the ones pissed did not meet you in the lot and were actually admiring your finesse until you supposedly weaved in and around them and the a long boarder got sprayed. Now im getting too involved at this point and who am i to say. if weaving occurred then i would say that would be wrong having been faced with this at casino before and seen how a head can come out of nowhere. sure we have a right but thats not necessary. now if i know them really well like some i do then i might ride closer with them but thats not even smart.

again im only keeping the peace becasue they might want to hate me! and more importantly, some of these guys are not exactly the type anybody would want to tangle with. one is an ex golden gloves contender!! hes definitely my friend and what he say goes...haaaaa

I was in the line up with boys,you rode like a champ,got told about this once showed up on the beach,since all by now know I do kite as well..I told them who you are and what I think about sharing wave as always.We did change topic right away and went surfing what a fun day..!

If anyone need to make direct comment to you,you were resting 10feet from everyone on the beach,the only one actually talk to you(on the beach)was buddy of mine and as I heard he was asking how to get into kitesurfing:))

I was kinda chuckling once you caught that fricking monster on the outside,made five turns and screem downwind,we were like woooow:)))

Gonna bring lots of surfers in the spring to learn to kite,they don't dig airs,but tell them about 25miles downwinders and they like that idea

You go Captain!!!!

Kajun Rule #1-Never try to teach a pig to sing.....It wastes your time and it annoys the pig.

It might be important to consider what others know and don't know about the wind and kites. Surfers may not know a thing about the wind, upwind, downwind etc...all they see is a flying octopus. It's the same with people walking on the beach. We know that we are downwind and they are safe, but they have no concept of what that means. The better we are the more we seem to be all over the place both upwind and down-wind. 20 feet downwind looks to them to be as dangerous as 20 feet upwind.....it all just looks ..."to close".

Windsurfers seem to have a better grasp at remaining up wind of us etc.

West, Pete the surfer and myself had a board meeting tonight at wound up casino and traded all sorts of waves in fine fashion. each of us pulling out, turning back or heeding way for the other to blow up the section. lots of fun and love in the waves. Pete came to understand our approach and we had fun watching his rippage in c-r aaazy conditions. Nice way to come together on it. John in the mix too ripping too.

I got caught off-guard on this one, as I was under the impression everything was kewl with the surfers that I was kiting with....

As Ivo's perspective was much the same as mine, and we were both there sharing waves...it is definitely understood that some of the surfers did not feel that way....

The last thing I want to do is to push the line with some guys trying to get their stoke in the water too, I know how difficult it is to get some rides surfing...I appreciate Scottie relaying the message and we talked about it at Casino yesterday in the flying snow after our sesh....I know how surfer's get, and I don't want to escalate any tensions over the matter.

Great analogy Mike about the octopus...I'm sure there were some who had no idea which way I could fly, even though I was 100% certain that I was not endangering any of them...In retrospect, although I was one of the first one's there at sunrise and was interacting with that group; once there were more than 10 surfers in the water, instead of just staying downwind I could have vacated the area altogether...In fact, I would have been kiting abit down the beach anyway, but there was minimal wind, and with no current next to the jetty I could stay upwind there...

btw...if you want to watch a master, be lucky enough to be around Pete (the surfer), as he is just an exceptional athlete...KUDOS

Pete and I chatted later by phone and he was amazed at how insanely fast we would be up the line one minute and literally turn into a bullet going the other way into a bottom turn and then a few more combo turns after that!!! He learned what it is we do but like west and mike said 3 guys going hard like that can be especially confusing if u don't know and make their session as surfers pretty on edge not knowing.

It was just us so a great way to explain on a ballistic day! I must say too that there were times when I had to concentrate on his head because all that speed and distance going so fast could be a horrible mistake if didn't Judge it right. I mean we want the good drop ins too but have to make it safe and easy for them to see.

I didn't know all the details and came on harsh but as I'm the past some don't respond to anything less. West is an ambassador to the sport and always willing to make it right.